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In their new book Small Town Rules, Barry Moltz and Becky McCray show how the business world is like a global small town, and how even the largest companies must compete for customers as if they were small, local businesses. They reveal the seven “rural-style” solutions that have become invaluable to even the largest companies, most dominant brands, and most cosmopolitan businesses.

Who Should Read Small Town Rules

Big Brands and Urban Businesses:Small Town Rules was written to help large brands and urban businesses that are struggling with the uncertain economy, radical changes in technology, and seismic shifts in society. Today, brands find themselves trying to compete for local customers, while being bombarded by inbound messages from consumers and fans, while also coping with drastic changes in revenue. Small town businesses have been juggling this set of challenges for decades. Small towns become the learning labs for business today.

Small Business Owners: Because Barry and Becky are both entrepreneurs, Small Town Rules addresses the challenges of small businesses, no matter how urban or sophisticated. Special resources address small business, and the Appendix includes small business ideas that were inspired by the Small Town Rules.

What are the Small Town Rules?

The Change in the Economy

Rule 1. Plan for zero. There will be tough years ahead.

Rule 2. Spend creative brainpower before spending dollars.

Rule 3. Multiply lines of income to diversify your risk.

The Change in Technology

Rule 4. Work anywhere, anywhen through technology.

Rule 5. Treat customers like community.

The Change in Society

Rule 6. Be proud of being small.

Rule 7. Build your local connections.

Special Features

Small Town Rules contains some things different from most books.

Between chapters, Powerhouse Small Town Brands are profiled, including L.L. Bean, Walmart, Winnebago Industries, and Viking Range.

To help readers implement the ideas, an appendix of Resources includes specific tools, references and links for each small town rule.

An appendix of Business Ideas Inspired by the Small Town Rules profiles more than 20 different business ideas. Businesses of any size can use these ideas for expansion, innovation or to change the game.

The Authors

While Barry Moltz lives in Chicago (population about 2.7 million) and Becky McCray lives in Hopeton, Oklahoma, (population about 30), they do share some common characteristics.

Both are entrepreneurs. Barry has had three businesses of his own. Becky started her first business in junior high school, and currently owns a liquor store and a cattle ranch along with her husband. (She also has a number of smaller side businesses.)

Both talk openly about success and failure. Both have been fired. Both have gone out of business. Barry has been kicked out of business by his own partners, and he sold his last business during the Internet bubble of 1999. Becky has run for public office and lost, started businesses that went no where, and has succeeded in building stable businesses in times of intense economic turmoil.

Barry also brings experience with large corporations through his time with IBM. Becky adds experience in agriculture, nonprofit and governmental organizations.

They wrote the book by collaborating almost entirely online, meeting in person only a few times.